


Promises

by rachlovesligers



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3883708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachlovesligers/pseuds/rachlovesligers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve wants to ask Peggy to go dancing with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This is written for Lyssbug07 who told me about this idea the comments of another steggy fic I wrote, I hope you like it!
> 
> It's set during The First Avenger right after their strategy meeting where they decide to storm Hydra's base.

“Hydra’s last base is here, in the Alps, 500 ft below the surface,” Philips growled.

Morita was the one to answer him, “So what’re we supposed to do? I mean it’s not like we can just knock on the front door.”

“Why not?” Steve looked up, “That’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”

He hadn’t planned to suggest such a drastic idea, but as the meeting had gone on it had become clear that there was no other option. After everyone’s shock dissolved and they realised he was completely serious, a little more discussion was had about the logistics of their plan, then the meeting was concluded and everyone separated to begin preparations or continue their own discussions.

Steve followed Howard to ask about some modifications to his motorcycle, pulling out his sketch detailing what he needed. Stark looked it over quickly, before he began talking about the mechanics of it all. Steve followed for the most part, having become pretty handy with the mechanics of his own motorcycle, but there came a point where Stark moved on to considerably more advanced terms, and Steve’s mind began to wander. His gaze drifted over to the corner where Agent Carter stood, as it usually did when his concentration lapsed. She was facing him, but clearly in the middle of an intense discussion with Colonel Phillips, Steve could hazard a guess as to what it concerned. Philips was better than most men within the military when it came to the women in his unit, he treated Peggy with a respect she didn’t often receive outside of himself and the Commandos, he listened to her ideas and valued her intelligence, but he still had reservations about allowing a woman to take part in extremely risky missions. Steve assumed it was the result of some protective instinct, but Peggy Carter was not someone who needed protecting, she was tougher and more experienced than most guys in the unit.

The exclusion of women from most parts of the military was something which had always baffled Steve. He had seen plenty of broads growing up who he had no doubt could’ve held their own on the battlefield, even so, half the guys who volunteered didn’t have the ability to succeed in a war, but he figured that was their choice, as it had been his. He could never understand the point of denying women the right to have the same choice, if they were willing to fight for their country, whose right was it to stop them?

As Stark moved on to talk of gravitic reversion technology, Steve continued to watch Peggy as she battled with her superior. It was clear Phillips was close to relenting from the way his shoulders slumped, and Steve found himself feeling an overwhelming sense of pride. Her expertise was always valuable on a mission, especially one as important as this, and now that Bucky was gone, Peggy’s impeccable aim and her protectiveness towards him, which she had displayed more than once, was exactly what he knew he needed. She was someone who Bucky would want watching Steve’s back if he couldn’t be there himself. Thoughts of Bucky brought on a fresh round of grief, stabbing him chest as he tried to blink back tears. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of having to go on a mission without his best friend at his side, and the thought of everything else he would have to do without Bucky was too much to bear thinking about.

Steve focussed on Peggy and the glimmer of hope he felt when he thought of her. A future without his best friend seemed unbearable, but at least he wasn’t completely alone. Her words from the night she’d followed him to the bombed out pub echoed in his mind. She’d provided him with some comfort then and had supported him since, bringing him food even though he’d never told her he hadn’t been eating, providing a shoulder to cry on when he’d needed one, helping him come up with various plans to take down Hydra, and reminding him that things will get better, that it won’t always hurt this much. He’d be eternally grateful to her for that, and with any luck he’d be able to spend the rest of his life showing her just how much she meant to him. But as Bucky’s face appeared in his mind, he realised he couldn’t count on the future, especially not in wartime; he needed to tell her now.

He excused himself from Howard, who was so engrossed in his ideas that he was mostly talking to himself anyway, and went to stand near Peggy and the Colonel. He leant against a nearby table and looked down at his joined hands, trying not to make it obvious he was waiting for them to finish.

A moment later he heard the click of Peggy’s footsteps approaching and looked up to see her standing in front of him. It had seemed so easy when he’d imagined talking to her only a moment ago, but with her right in front of him he was at a loss for how to begin.

“Are you alright?” she asked softly.

He nodded, still unsure of what to say to her. He needed to thank her for her support, and for the courage and sense of hope she gave him. But he wanted so much more than that, he wanted to tell her how completely in love with her he was, how he knew for certain she was his right partner, and he hoped that he was hers too. He wanted to dance with her, to kiss her, and so much more.

“Come with me.” He followed her as she left the room, he’d follow her anywhere, he thought as they turned a few more corners, away from the noise of the emptying meeting room. They reached a quiet corridor that Steve didn’t recognise, and Peggy led him into a small room, closing the door behind them.

“That’s a bloody dangerous plan you suggested in there,” she scolded him, “but I think it might just work.”

He nodded in agreement, still trying to pull together the right words. “You’ll be coming with us?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.

She smiled wickedly, “The Colonel agreed it’s important I join you.”

“Good, I need someone by my side who knows how I fight now that…” he trailed off, looking down.

Peggy placed her hand on his cheek and tilted his face towards hers. “We will take down Hydra, all of it, and we will avenge Bucky.” Her voice was so intense he had no option but to believe her.

“Thank you.”

“I’m only doing what needs to be done.”

“No, not just for this, for everything you’ve done for me.” His heart began to race, but her hand was still on his cheek and it gave him the encouragement he needed to continue. “You’ve helped me in so many ways since Bucky …,” he still struggled to finish the sentence, “you’ve supported me right from the beginning, given me hope and courage, and I,” he paused, knowing what he couldn’t say but wanted to so desperately, “I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Her hand fell from his cheek and he worried he’d been too forward for a moment, but she looked down and a breath-taking smile spread across her face. “I’m glad I could help,” she said quietly, still avoiding his gaze.

He should have left then, after having said what he needed to he should have said goodbye and left, but he couldn’t bear to walk away from her. They so rarely got a moment alone together, and he didn’t want to waste it. So he stood there, mouth opening and closing like a fish, while he tried to pull something from his suddenly blank mind in order to prolong their conversation.

“Stark’s gonna make some modifications to my motorcycle.” There was no reason she would want to know that, but he couldn’t for life of him think of anything else to say.

An amused smile was playing at her lips as she looked back up at him. “Is that so?”

Steve scratched the back of his head as he tried to think of a way to make motorcycle modifications seem more interesting. “Yeah,” he continued on for a few minutes about the mechanics of motorcycles, attempting to recite some of the stuff Stark had just been telling him, though he’d barely understood half of it himself. When he finished she was still smiling at him, and he wasn’t sure whether to carry on or excuse himself.

She leaned in a little closer, their bodies almost touching. “What do you really want to say?” Her voice was low and it reminded him of that night at the pub, she’d looked stunning in a figure hugging red dress and he’d almost forgotten how to breathe.

“I, uh, I wondered if …” he stumbled on his words, still unsure of himself despite the tone her voice had taken on. He desperately wanted to ask her to go dancing but she’d made it clear she intended to wait until the war was over. Although, after the meeting they’d just had it seemed that might be sooner than they’d realised, and he supposed there was no harm in asking. Peggy had hinted heavily that Steve was the person she intended to go dancing with after the war, but given his history with women, or lack thereof, he wanted to be sure.

“Cat got your tongue?” she teased.

He cleared his throat and tried again. “You mentioned before that you liked dancing, I guess I just wanted to know if that was still the case?”

“Whether I still enjoy dancing? Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

He noticed that smile still playing at the corners of her lips and he could tell she knew exactly what he was trying to ask her, but of course she wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

He took a deep breath and pushed down his nerves. “Well, I guess, what I really wanted to ask is, would you like to go dancing with me?”

“There’s nothing I’d love more, however,” she hesitated and Steve could feel the small burst of confidence he’d had already slipping away, “we ought to wait until Schmidt’s been taken down, we can’t afford any distractions at the moment.”

“Of course. We need to focus,” he agreed, “I just want you to know that I have every intention of making good on your offer, if that’s still something you want?”

“You’re happy to wait?”

“Been waiting most of my life, besides, I know you’re my right partner.”

That beautiful smile returned and Steve’s chest ached with how much he wanted to kiss her, to pull her towards him and wrap his arms around her. Her smile gave him a sudden sense of courage and the words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“I adore you Peggy.”

She rolled her eyes but her smile was just as wide and Steve knew he’d said the right thing for once.

“I’d walk through fire for you, I’d move mountains for you,” he began to tease, loving the half-happy half-exasperated chuckle she gave him.

“Oh leave off, you’re being ridiculous now.”

He laughed with her and he could feel his nerves slipping away.

“I’m rather fond of you too,” she admitted quietly, and Steve’s heart leapt, “and we will go dancing, I’ll make sure of it.”

Steve’s grin must have been enormous but he couldn’t see any reason to hold back now, Peggy Carter wanted to go dancing with him, he couldn’t imagine any better feeling.

It took him a moment to realise they were just standing in silence. He’d said what he wanted to say and there were preparations he needed to get on with before their attack on Hydra, but he still couldn’t tear himself away. So the two of them hesitated for a moment, seemingly both reluctant to leave.

“It’s been a great talk, thanks for, um,”

Without warning Peggy grabbed Steve’s collar and pulled him towards her. He was confused about what exactly was happening until her lips were on his, soft and warm and with a taste he hadn’t expected, something fruity, and he concluded it must be her lipstick. For a moment they were still and he realised Peggy had taken a risk by kissing him, that she needed his confirmation, so he cupped her cheek and tried to remember what Bucky had told him about kissing girls.

As he moved his lips it seemed to spur Peggy on, her hands had found their way to his hair and her body was pressed against his. Wanting to be as close as possible, Steve wrapped his arm around Peggy and held her tightly, he could feel her warmth and the softness of her curves even through both their uniforms. The sensation of her lips moving perfectly in sync with his was making him feel light headed, something he hadn’t experienced since the serum, and he never wanted to stop kissing her.

As her fingers gently caressed his cheek he realised this was her way of confirming their promise to each other. They’d had an unspoken promise that they would wait for each other ever since their conversation at the pub, there had been so many hints and hidden meanings between them but with all that they needed to focus on they hadn’t been able to act on it. This kiss solidified what Steve hand longed for, not just a promise of a dance together, but the hope of a future together.

He felt her tongue gently explore his mouth and his breath stuttered, but it only lasted a brief second before she pulled away. He kept his arm around her as their breathing slowed, faces still almost touching. Her lipstick was completely ruined but it only made her look even more ravishingly beautiful than usual.

“We’ll go dancing, as soon as Hydra is wiped off the map and Schmidt is nothing but a name,” she breathed, “I promise.”

“I intend to hold you to that promise,” Steve grinned, and he leant down to quickly peck her on the lips one last time before releasing her.

They righted themselves and left the room that had been their haven for a few short moments, heading back towards the meeting room, but with the promise of what was to come Steve felt a little lighter, more hopeful about his life after the war.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> My tumblr is http://rachlovesligers.tumblr.com/ for anyone who's interested.


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